WOMEN
Women’s Football finally played in Somalia
The world Football governing body, FIFA has welcomed the move by Somalia to finally start engaging with women’s Football.
On March 8th, 2024 women’s football was finally played in the capital Mogadishu to commemorate International Women’s Day with Futsal match.
SWF women’s football team, defeated their rivals of SSC by 3-1 in the maiden women’s futsal match, which fully broke the barriers that once prevented Somali women from playing football.
Gelson Vernandes, the FIFA director for member associations Africa welcomed that Somali women are now officially playing football.
“We would like to extend our sincere congratulations to the Somali Football Federation for the activities organized, particularly to mark International Women’s Day. It is admirable to see such openness and to allow women to play and enjoy this sport. This initiative demonstrates a strong desire to promote gender equality and inclusion in football,” said Vernandes.
President of the Somali Football Federation (SFF), Ali Abdi Mohamed also praised the Women’s committee in the Federation of organizing the match to ensure women’s football officially starts in Somalia.
“I am really overjoyed that my long-standing dreams have become true. The futsal match was the start of a series of activities for the girls and young women who have been well involved in training programs for the past several months. Our aim is to see Somali women being fully active in the international football calendar very soon, added the President.
Ibtisam Yassin, the SFF head of Women’s football also said they are pleased that the department was able to organize a futsal match after several months of trainings and awareness workshops for both parents and girls.
“Our efforts paid off and we will continue organizing the awareness workshops for parents and girls plus the training programs, as this strategy has yielded positive results,” she added.
The head of Communication in SFF, Shafi’i Mohyaddin Abokar pointed out that having women’s football start in Somalia is a real sig of removal of cultural barriers.
“In Somalia, women have never played official football due to cultural barriers, as Somali parents never allowed their daughters to play football, because Somali parents recognized women’s football “the worst shame” and crime against Somali culture and religion, but after months of awareness workshops some parents have allowed their daughters to play the game,” added Abokar.
He also made it clear that now the awareness workshops are part of the SFF strategy to develop women’s football and overcome the cultural barriers that once prevented Somali women getting the opportunity to play the game.
FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup qualifiers
Kenya to face Cameroon in final phase of FIFA U-17 Women’s W/Cup qualifier
The Kenya Junior Starlets have ejected Uganda and will now face Cameroon in the third and final round of the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2025 qualifiers are
Kenya Junior Starlets eliminated Uganda 5-0 on goal aggregate to book a place in the next round
After winning the first leg 2-0, the Kenyan team humbled Uganda Teen Cranes 3-0 in the return leg played at the Nyayo Stadium in Nairobi on Sunday.
Patience Asiko netted an early goal after 5 minutes, and Brenda Achieng recorded a second half brace to guide Kenya Junior Starlets to the next round.
Kenya will now face Cameroon who ejected Ethiopia 6-2 on aggregate. Kenya are chasing a second appearance at the FIFA U-17 World Cup after featuring in last year in Dominican Republic.
On Saturday Tanzania suffered a 1-0 defeat away to Zambia at the Levy Mwanawasa Stadium in Ndola to bow out on a 4-0 goal aggregate.
Burundi were also eliminated by Ivory Coast by after losing the return le 3-0 to bow out on a 4-3 goal aggregate.
Four teams will qualify from Africa alongside hosts Morocco will qualify for the 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup in Morocco.
FIFA U-17 Women's World Cup qualifiers
Tanzania, Uganda, Ethiopia suffer defeats in FIFA U-17 Women’s W/Cup qualifiers
Three teams from the CECAFA Zone have all suffered defeats in their respective first leg encounters of the second round in the FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup 2025 qualifiers.
Tanzania’s Serengeti Girls suffered a 3-0 home defeat to Zambia in a match played at the Azam Complex Stadium in Chamazi on Sunday.
After a goalless first half, Zambia’s Copper Princesses scored through Grace Phiri and a brace by Mercy Chipasula.
On Saturday Edinah Nasipwondi and Joan Ogola scored to ensure Kenya Junior Starlets picked a vital away win against Uganda in a match played at the Hamz Stadium, Nakivubo.
The match was also graced by former Senegal and Liverpool top striker El Haji Diouf.
Away in Cameroon the Ethiopian team suffered a 5-2 defeat. Later tonight Burundi will play away to Ivory Coast at the Felix Houphouet Boigny Stadium in Abidjan.
The final round for the CECAFA teams in the qualifiers will see the winner between Kenya and Uganda face the winner between Cameroon and Ethiopia.
The winner between Tanzania and Zambia will take on the winner between Benin and DR Congo, while the winner between Ivory Coast and Burundi takes on the winner between Sierra Leone and Guinea.
The 2025 FIFA U-17 Women’s World Cup will take place in Morocco. Africa will be represented by five teams at the tournament.
Three teams from the CECAFA Zone Kenya, Tanzania and Ethiopia have cruised through to the second round of the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) 2026 qualifiers.
After Ethiopia ejected Uganda 5-4 on penalties, Kenya saw off Tunisia 1-0, while Tanzania drew 1-1 with Equatorial Guinea to qualify on a 4-2 goal aggregate.
In a game played in at the Stade Olympique de Sousse, Terry Engesha netted an early goal to give the Harambee Starlets advantage.
Kenya’s goalkeeper Lilian Awuor also played a pivotal role saving two penalties to ensure her team made it to the next round 1-0 on goal aggregate. Kenya will now face Gambia in the second and final round in October
Tanzania also cruised through after holding hosts Equatorial Guinea to a 1-1 draw in Malabo to qualify on a 4-2 goal aggregate. Chuigoue Dorine Nina gave the hosts the lead in the first half, but Enekia Kasonga leveld matters for Tanzania after 73 minutes. Tanzania will now face Ethiopia in the second round.
The other teams from the CECAFA Zone South Sudan, Djibouti, Burundi and Rwanda all failed to make it to the next round.
Burundi suffered a 4-1 defeat to Burkina Faso on Wednesday night to bow out on a 5-1 goal aggregate, while Djibouti suffered a 5-0 defeat to Togo to fall out on a 10-0 goal aggregate.
The 2026 WAFCON will be hosted by Morocco.
Second round matches
Angola vs Malawi
DR Congo vs South Africa
Tanzania vs Ethiopia
Namibia vs Zambia
Burkina Faso vs Togo
Algeria vs Cameroon
Egypt vs Ghana
Kenya vs Gambia
Benin vs Nigeria
Cape Verde vs Mali
Senegal vs Cote d’Ivoire
Hosts Ethiopia have ejected Uganda Crested Cranes 5-4 on penalty shootouts in the first round of the TotalEnergies CAF Women’s Africa Cup of Nations (WAFCON) 2026 qualifiers.
After losing the first leg 2-0, the Ethiopian team battled to score two goals against Uganda at the Abebe Bikila Stadium in Addis Ababa on Wednesday.
Aregash Kalsa netted the opening goal for the hosts after 66 minutes, moments after Uganda’s forward Fazila Ikwaput had been sent-off.
Earlier Uganda Crested Cranes also had Zaina Namuleme miss a clear cut opportunity, but missed by inches. The hosts continued to attack in numbers, but the Crested Cranes defenders held on strong.
Seven minutes into added time Etsegenet Girma made it 2-0 sending the home fans into jubilations.
During penalty shootouts Ethiopia’s Tarikwa Debiso had her effort saved, while Uganda’s Phiona Nabbumba and Resty Kobusobozi missed.
Ethiopia will now face the winner between Tanzania and Equatorial Guinea in the second round of the qualifiers.
In matches played on Tuesday night South Sudan suffered a 3-0 defeat away to Algeria to drop out on an 8-0 goal aggregate. Rwanda held hosts Egypt to a 2-2 draw, but failed to make it to the next round after losing the first leg 1-0 in Kigali.
In other matches to be played later tonight involving teams from the CECAFA Zone Burundi will face Burkina Faso, Djibouti battle Togo, while Kenya take on Tunisia in Tunis.
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